Case managers are the rock stars of healthcare. They're the ones who make sure that your loved one gets the right care, at the right time, and in the right place. So, what exactly can a case manager do for you? What kind of help can they give you and your family? And most importantly, can they really help your loved one? That's right, they can!
Find out how case managers educate patients & caregivers-from providing them with information about their condition to guiding them through treatment plans and procedures (and everything in between).
What is a Case Manager?
Case managers are not just advocates, they are educators.
They help patients and caregivers understand their disease process and treatment plan, which improves the quality of life for everyone involved. Case managers can reduce hospital admissions, readmissions, and urgent care visits by providing information that is tailored to each individual's needs. They can also assist with medication management when needed (e.g., by helping people with diabetes maintain their insulin doses).
A case manager can also help resolve conflicts - such as disagreements about treatment - between you, your family, and your healthcare providers. They can help you understand the options available to you, explain the pros and cons of each option, answer questions about what's happening with your treatment or medication (and when), provide information about how many days it will take for a certain procedure or test to complete, etc. A case manager may also be able to talk with doctors on your behalf if there is something that needs clarification or reassurance from them.
What are the Educational Priorities of a Case Manager?
Case managers are educators, but they're not doctors. A case manager's role is to educate patients and caregivers about disease processes and the importance of taking medications on time. For example, if a patient has diabetes and has missed their insulin shots because they were too busy with work or social activities, a good case manager would help them get back on track by reminding them that they need to find an alternative method (such as meal planning) to manage their blood sugar levels so that they don't have any issues with low blood sugars later during the day.
They also have access to many resources that can help educate patients about their role in their health care—including books written by other professionals who specialize in this area such as endocrinologists or gastroenterologists!
Case managers are also able to reduce hospital admissions/readmission rates by educating patients about appropriate medications for their conditions and providing information about healthcare options in their area. Finally, many case managers will work closely with hospitals or other medical facilities to help coordinate care for your patient's medical needs and mental health concerns (if applicable).
Understanding the Disease Process
Case managers are responsible for educating patients and caregivers about the disease process, how it affects their loved ones, and how it can be treated. They may also provide information on what services are available through Medicare. In order to do this effectively, case managers must understand the process in both a technical sense (i.e., what happens when someone has cancer) and an emotional one (i.e., how they feel when they hear that their loved one has been diagnosed with cancer).
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about how case managers educate patients and caregivers. If you have any questions about this topic or would like to speak with us, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 601.863.0258 or email us at ccm@proficienthsa.com
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